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By Martha McHardy
US News Reporter
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House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries has responded after his name allegedly appeared in a 2013 email sent to Jeffrey Epstein.
Jeffries faced fresh scrutiny after House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer pointed to the email—which Epstein received from a political consulting firm, Dynamic SRG, promoting a fundraiser linked to the congressman.
Newsweek has contacted Dynamic SRG and Jeffries for comment via email sent outside regular working hours.
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The message, which asked recipients to contact the firm if they were interested in attending a fundraising dinner or getting to "know Hakeem better," was not authored or sent by Jeffries himself.
The document does not show evidence of Jeffries meeting Epstein or of Epstein donating in response to the solicitation. It is also unclear if Epstein responded to the email. There is no suggestion Jeffries was aware the email was being sent or to whom it would go.
When asked about the outreach, Jeffries said he had no recollection of the email.
Jeffries told CNN: "I've never had a conversation with him, never met him, know nothing about him other than the extreme things that he's been convicted of doing. And that's why, you know, I'm just strongly supportive of the effort, backing the survivors to make sure that everything can come out, whatever is in those Department of Justice files."
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Why It Matters
Jeffries' name surfacing in material linked to Epstein adds a new layer of political sensitivity to an already contentious debate over transparency surrounding the case. While the email was sent by a consulting firm and shows no evidence of contact or donations, the reference has given critics an opening to question whether any prominent political figures may appear in the wider trove of documents Congress voted to release.
The email allegedly mentioning Jeffries has been highlighted after U.S. lawmakers released a tranche of documents last week relating to Epstein. Several documents mentioned President Donald Trump, including a reference to him as the "dog that hasn't barked."
Trump, who has consistently denied any wrongdoing, has since told House Republicans they have "nothing to hide" and backed the release of the files.
What To Know
The email—which promoted Jeffries as a rising figure in the Democratic Party, calling him "Brooklyn's Barack"—surfaced after lawmakers' release last week of more than 20,000 pages of documents connected to Epstein, a convicted sex offender who died by suicide in a New York jail in 2019 while awaiting sex trafficking charges.
"Dear Jeffrey, we are thrilled to announce that we are working with Congressman Hakeem Jeffries, one of the rising stars in the New York Congressional delegation," the email said.
It added, "Sometimes referred to as 'Brooklyn's Barack,' he is a staunch supporter of President Obama and a progressive voice for the people of New York City."
"Hakeem is committed to electing a Democratic majority in 2014 and is encouraging his friends to participate in the DCCC/DSCC fundraising dinner with President Obama this coming Monday night," the email continued. "Shoot us an email or give us a call at [the firm's phone number] if you would like to get involved with the dinner, or would like to get an opportunity to get to know Hakeem better."
The message was circulated about five years after Epstein pleaded guilty in Florida to solicitation of prostitution and solicitation of prostitution from a minor.
Comer has spotlighted the email both in a floor speech and online, saying it illustrated an attempt to bring Epstein into Democratic fundraising networks.
CNN also asked Jeffries about separate documents from the Epstein estate showing text exchanges between Epstein and U.S. House Delegate Stacey Plaskett of the Virgin Islands, made during a House Oversight Committee hearing with Michael Cohen, Trump's former personal attorney.
House Republicans failed to remove Plaskett from the House Intelligence Committee in a vote on Tuesday. The exchanges do not show evidence of wrongdoing by Plaskett, and she denied any improper behavior in a speech to the House on Tuesday.
The Justice Department said on Friday that it was examining Epstein's purported connections to high-profile Democrats, among them former President Bill Clinton, who has repeatedly insisted he was unaware of Epstein's criminal conduct.
On Tuesday, lawmakers in both chambers voted by wide margins to compel the Justice Department to make its Epstein records public, following prolonged delays pushed by GOP lawmakers and the Trump administration.
What People Are Saying
**House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said on CNN when asked if U.S. House Delegate Stacey Plaskett's texts were appropriate: "**Stacey Plaskett is not accused of violating any House rule, any law, any statute, and she's clearly and unequivocally denounced Jeffrey Epstein."
What Happens Next
Lawmakers in the House and Senate have overwhelmingly approved a measure directing the Justice Department to make its Epstein records public within 30 days once the measure becomes law. The legislation now heads to the president's desk, and he has indicated that he intends to sign it.
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